I picked my son up at a playdate, and the mother had a large pot of boiling water on the stove on one of the front burners. There were four kids running around the house, and I couldn’t believe she would leave the water there like that. I turned the pot off and moved it to a back burner, but I’m wondering if it would be okay if I said something to her. It worries me that my child was playing in a home where the mother would be so careless!

I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re one of my friends trying to tell me something.

I had a playdate not too long ago during which I made cookies, and one of the other mothers told me that she doesn’t let her kids in the kitchen when she’s using the oven. WHAT? I’ve been so busy worrying about BPA-free bottles and apple juice made in China that I totally forgot to think about inadvertently baking the children. So maybe my opinion is a little on the relaxed side here, but…

I think we can safely assume that your friend doesn’t schedule a playdate, and then when she hears the doorbell ring, say to herself, “Oh, the kids are here! I better go put my boiling pot of death and danger on the stove!” I’m guessing it was a one-time oversight, and that the pot was unattended because she got distracted with your arrival or something.

As a parent, it’s certainly your prerogative to not send your kid over to play anymore. If you want, next time she invites your son over, ask if you can return the favor and have the kids at your house, instead. Or see if she wants to meet at a park or something. But definitely don’t call her up, or worse, email her, and chide her for her dangerous cooking practices. If you do, I think you should kiss those playdates good-bye, because it would be totally obnoxious of you.

One response to “Can I tell another mom that her house is dangerous?”

I feel like if I had a play date and the other mom came in and moved the pot to the back of the stove and turned off the burner I would definitely get that she doesn’t think that’s safe! I think her friend probably gets it. But if she’s worried enough to cancel play dates, maybe she should risk saying something even though she’ll sound a little neurotic. I wouldn’t want someone to just cancel play dates at my house without telling me the reason.